Structure Meets Strategy
Implementation of Strategic and Operational Project Management
Project Situation at the Beginning
A pharmaceutical company specializing in the development and production of oncology drugs was seeking to professionalize its R&D project management.
The CEO’s goal: Introduce a unified project management methodology that would allow full visibility into the status of each project and enable better portfolio-level decisions.
In addition to methodology, the leadership team wanted to define a shared corporate philosophy and ensure that all ongoing projects were structured and staggered efficiently to optimize resources.
Our Contribution
Following a joint goal-setting phase with the CEO and management, we created an implementation roadmap with the project manager and head of development.
Key contributions included:
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Defining and documenting a corporate philosophy via management workshops
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Screening all active projects with teams to identify management gaps
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Addressing blind spots in goal-setting, planning, and process flow in real-time projects
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Introducing a structured methodology with workshop-driven, documented results
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Establishing consistent risk and portfolio management
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Coaching project managers and creating clarity in responsibilities and expectations
A striking insight: One project had already completed product approval in a market where the company had no distribution channel. We immediately established a new rule: Sales must define target markets in the early concept phase of every future project.
Project Situation After Completion
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Full transparency across all development projects was achieved within weeks
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The screening approach was expanded beyond R&D to cover all company projects
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A company-wide project management manual and process guide were in place
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Roles, milestones, and responsibilities were clearly defined and accepted
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Employees gained new motivation by actively owning and driving their projects
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Shortly thereafter, the company was acquired by a major pharma corporation – and the improved structure and visibility likely contributed positively to the transaction
Project Situation After Completion
-
Full transparency across all development projects was achieved within weeks
-
The screening approach was expanded beyond R&D to cover all company projects
-
A company-wide project management manual and process guide were in place
-
Roles, milestones, and responsibilities were clearly defined and accepted
-
Employees gained new motivation by actively owning and driving their projects
-
Shortly thereafter, the company was acquired by a major pharma corporation – and the improved structure and visibility likely contributed positively to the transaction
Client Voice
“Professionalizing our project management had a deeper impact than expected.
It wasn’t just about structure or planning – it changed how our people thought and worked. Suddenly, they wanted responsibility, insight into the full lifecycle of a project, and ownership of the outcomes. It boosted both motivation and performance across the board.”